[azramsfan93]

I am voting in this column.

Holdouts are just business. The business side of it sometimes gets messy. I don't hold that against the player.

Saying players should short-change the business side of it just turns "caring about fans and the game" into a pro-management stance. It's not more noble, it's just more pro-management.

...

That may be true. Players come and go. The Rams live on.

[/zn/]

That may be true. Players come and go. The Rams live on.

Not if they can't sign their best players.

[azramsfan93]

pretty sure we're all rams fans... but you didn't answer my question, do you think the players i listed were also in it only for themselves? they didn't care about their teammates, the game, or the fans?

yeah I am sure they were racked with guilt and barely able to get out of bed during their holdouts.

I am fully aware the NFL is a business. I am a customer of their business.

If Donald had played out his contract and the Rams refused to pay him I would likely be pissed at management. That's not the case here.

If he comes back without doing any harm to the team then I will welcome him with open arms.

If the defense plays poorly and we lose games I will never forgive him.

I am pretty sure he could care less.

[azramsfan93]

Not if they can't sign their best players.

so if they don't sign Donald then the franchise will fold? Seems a little dramatic even for you.

[/zn/]

so if they don't sign Donald then the franchise will fold? Seems a little dramatic even for you.

Seems like kind of a gratuitous personal shot even for you. Anyway. No I played a pun on your term "lives on." More like struggles on like the last decade.

You sign your best players. Especially when (and this is the case) you can afford them. You don't do things like trade Bettis away or let Warner walk.

[/zn/]

If Donald had played out his contract and the Rams refused to pay him I would likely be pissed at management. That's not the case here.

He didn't negotiate his contract. Basically that was slotted in by the rookie cap under the new CBA. He outplayed that contract. The Rams asked Wells to give back money from his deal when he spent too much time injured. Okay. And on the other side of they coin, they openly said (I am quoting Demoff) that Donald is a special player who deserves a special contract. So they're going to pay him. The Rams themselves, then, have already said that the existing contract undervalues him way too much and that they are dedicated to fixing that.

...

[aeneas1]

yeah I am sure they were racked with guilt and barely able to get out of bed during their holdouts.

k, just wanted to be clear, because i couldn't quite believe that i was reading you right, that you think the likes of faulk, pace, singletary, rice, fouts, etc., etc. were only "in it for themselves", just like donald, which of course implies that they didn't care about their teammates, their team, fans, or anyone else... an odd perspective imo, but as you said, it's a free country, and i'll drink to that.

[BuiltRamTough]

[PARAM]

Didn't see this posted. If it has been, my apologies for the redundancy (at least I didn't start a new AD thread!)

Schein

If you tried to pitch a script detailing how the Los Angeles Rams have dealt with star defensive tackle Aaron Donald, even Hollywood wouldn't bite on such a storyline in its backyard. It's that unfathomable.
Of course the Rams should pay Aaron Donald. Of course they should've paid him months ago.

In a mind-boggling development, it's Week 1 of the NFL season and Donald's holdout continues with no end in sight. It's highly counterproductive to the cause, on and off the field. Late last week, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported that the two sides are still negotiating, but "not close" on a new deal. Ugh.

Truth be told, I begged my editor to write this column back in July, when the holdout began. My editor wouldn't bite, saying the Rams would undoubtedly pay the man before a holdout could cut into the regular season. I don't blame my editor. Hindsight's 20/20. And a couple months ago, this kind of a prolonged stalemate did seem unfathomable.
Yes, Donald is under contract for two more years on his rookie deal, set to make $1.8 million this season and $6.9 million in 2018 (with the Rams picking up his fifth-year option in April). But is that anywhere near the amount of money Donald deserves -- less than $2 million this fall? Of course not. Donald has significantly outplayed the compensation of the slotted rookie pay scale. Give him the loot!

But what about the precedent that would set, giving Donald a new deal with two years left on his contract? How does this affect the other players who aren't thrilled with their current status?

Yeah, yeah -- I know this line of debate. But let's be honest: Not every contract situation -- and certainly not every player -- is created equal. You rip up Donald's contract and start anew because he's a bona fide star and a great guy. You rip it up and start anew because he's the franchise's best player. You rip it up and start anew because 2017 is set up for him to enjoy his best season yet.

Back in May, before this holdout became official, Aaron Donald was my pick for Defensive Player of the Year. One big reason for my bullishness: Wade freaking Phillips is now in the building. The defensive mastermind has maximized the talents of Von Miller, J.J. Watt, DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Bruce Smith and Reggie White. Think he wouldn't be able to do some major damage with Mr. Donald? You pay the DT now to get ahead of his greatness -- or at least the greatness he hasn't already flashed ...

Donald is one of the top five defensive players in the NFL today. That's not hyperbole -- if anything, that statement undersells his impact on the game. Three years into his NFL career, Donald has three Pro Bowl nods, two first-team All-Pro designations and a Defensive Rookie of the Year trophy. Since 2014, the year Donald entered the NFL as the No. 13 overall pick in the draft, he leads all defensive tackles in sacks with 28. That's four more than the next-closest man, Gerald McCoy. In 2016, he led the entire league in QB hits with 31, five more than the trio tied for second place (Geno Atkins, Cliff Avril and Khalil Mack). Remember, this guy is an interior defensive lineman, a legit DT. This kind of QB disruption isn't normal. And yes, he's a game wrecker against the run, too. No wonder Pro Football Focus projected him as the top player in all of football for 2017 back in June.

Donald wants to be one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL. And you know what? He deserves to be. Watch the games. This guy is a one-man wrecking crew. He's also a silent assassin who lets his play talk. Donald doesn't dance. He doesn't do commercials like Miller or Watt. He plays for a team that's been out of the spotlight for years, not an immensely popular club like Mack's Raiders. Don't let that cloud your opinion of his genius. This guy is the best defensive tackle in football, bar none.

Donald just turned 26 a few months ago and has yet to miss a single game in three NFL campaigns. Locking up this kind of player on a long-term, megabucks deal is a no-brainer. Two years ago, Ndamukong Suh changed the game for defensive tackles, signing a six-year, $114,375,000 deal with just under $60 million guaranteed. This is the kind of dough Donald deserves. No, he's not in free agency, like Suh was at the time of his deal. But yes, he's better right now than Suh was at age 26 -- and he doesn't have any of Suh's baggage, to boot. This cat is absolutely crucial to the Rams' success, in the long term and in the coming months.

If Donald's holdout extends into the regular season, this might derail what could be a feel-good turnaround season for the Rams under their exciting, young, energetic new head coach, Sean McVay.

Optimistic feelings should be flying around the Rams. I love the 31-year-old McVay. Jared Goff will improve under his guidance; Todd Gurley will return to form after Jeff Fisher nearly ruined him. The Sammy Watkins trade was a great one. The Rams ranked dead last in total yards and scoring last season. That will not be the case in 2017. But on the other side of the ball, it all starts with the freak up front in the No. 99 jersey. The Rams' front office is doing a real disservice to the first-year head coach, taking away the most transcendent talent on the roster (by far).

When I spoke to McVay in mid-August on my SiriusXM show, "Schein on Sports," he sounded like quite an Aaron Donald fan.

"We certainly would love to have Aaron here and have nothing but the utmost respect for him as a player and as a person," McVay told me, before turning the conversation back to the team as a whole, as coaches do. A minute later, though, he did add this: "He's very important to us. I've always had a huge deal of respect, just going against him. You know, when I first go here, I said, 'I'm certainly glad I don't have to play against you anymore.' "

Amen. Donald is the unstoppable force and the immovable object. He's a truly indispensable player. And here's what's crazy: The Rams know this. GM Les Snead knows this. They have to.

Perhaps this franchise was banking on history. Since the new collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2011, just two players have taken holdouts into the regular season: Kam Chancellor and Carson Palmer. Well, it looks like we're about to have a third.

This should've been easy. And my editor was right: This column never should have been necessary. But this situation has not adhered to conventional wisdom. And unfortunately, a Hollywood ending seems less probable with each passing minute.

I can't stand Adam Schein (and I'm not sure why) but he makes some good points in this article. I have heard contrary commentary from the likes of Willie McGinist and others on NFL Network. They make claims his numbers don't have the impact they seem to on paper. I disagree with that but don't discount it totally. After all we've managed just a 17 and 31 record with such a beast in the middle of our defense. Sure, we all know why...... pedestrian, antiquated offensive play........but even with that the defensive numbers don't scream "dominance". I've heard the statement "everybody knows how valuable an 'elite DT' is" but what does that mean? The only DT in recent memory (meaning in the modern passing friendly era) who received distinct credit for a SB win was Warren Sapp and he wasn't surrounded with duds. Derrick Brooks, Simeon Rice, Rhonde Barber, Brian Kelly, Shelton Quarles, Dexter Jackson, John Lynch and Booger McFarland were studs too. Also is Aaron Donald still an 'elite DT' or a 3-4 DE?

[/zn/]

. I've heard the statement "everybody knows how valuable an 'elite DT' is" but what does that mean?

First, you don't get a legit argument by putting an entire record on one player. For example teams had poor records in given years with the likes of Joe Greene and Merlin Olsen (see 1962-65). So that in itself tells you nothing.

It is very simple to say what "elite DT" means since it;'s based on a direct and clear football logic. You can even leave out facts like this---only 3 DTs in all of NFL history were pro bowlers in each of their first 3 seasons: Olsen, Greene, and Donald. That covers a span of 54 years. That certainly means something but set it aside and just look at the football logic.

No offense can afford to let the defender who starts the play before the snap closest to the ball be disruptive. Obviously that would hamper an offense on both the run and pass. So if that DT is good he requires extra attention at the game plan level. At the very least, double-teaming. That's obviously an advantage for the defense since it tilts the numbers game their way.

An elite DT, though, not only requires that kind of attention, he makes plays ANYWAY and is even capable of dominating a game.

Yeah those guys are rare. Not a lot of them in NFL history. Talking about the Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen, Randy White, Warren Sapp, Bob Lilly, Alan Page level guy. There are more top qbs in NFL history than guys like that. And top qbs as we know are rare...just not as rare as elite DTs.

The big advantage is when you pair someone like that with an outside rusher (4/3 DE or 3/4 OLB). OBVIOUSLY a combination like that is a cornerstone for a very tough defense if you surround them with good players. That combination is clearly better than just having the outside rusher himself.

But if you want that combination you better hold on to your elite DT since it is far easier to find outside rushers in the NFL than elite DTs. For example, if you look at the pass rushers with 8 or more sacks last year, it's 30 guys, with only 3 DTs. The rest are DEs and OLBs.

None of which means if you have an elite DT that the team automatically wins. As I said Olsen played on losing teams for 4 straight years and yet that takes nothing away from what he was AND the team would be stupid to just let him walk BECAUSE they're not winning yet. That's just not how you judge this. Similarly you don't dump Issac Bruce just because your offense struggled from 94-98 (though he missed a lot of games in 2 of those years but you know what I mean).